The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-10-07
ROBBERS TAKE A TRAIN.
The Unpleasant Experience of Trav-
elers on a Pennsylvania Railroad.
the Philadelphia Times.

FROM He EHttCtuetUttU ItDteS,
GREENsBURG, Pa, Oct. 3.-The passen-
gers on a way train running on the Sewickley
branch of the Southwestern railroad had a
rather terrifying experience early this morn
ing. 1t reminded them Of stories they had
read of banditti, highwaymen and road
agents, who make things more or less inter
esting to travellers i'll stage coaches and rail
road trains on the distant frontiers There
were pistols and bowie knives and razors in
the air, and the engineer and his fireman,
three brakemen, and the few pas
sengerS on board the train were kept in an
unwonted state of excitement for several
hours. The Sewickley road, which is a
little branch only ten miles long, runs
through the Pleasant Unity coke field.
There are plenty of lonesome places along
the road, and it was at one of these points
while the train WIS running at a slow rate
early this morning, that band of negroes,
variously estimated at from twenty-five to
thirty, jumped aboard, and caused
panic by their villainous demonstrations.
The party had been lying concealed
among the bushes that line the road
and at given signal from their leader,
a tall, herculean fellow with coal black
skin, they jumped aboard. Three of the
party, with drawn revolvers, entered the
cab of the engine and held the engineer and
firemen in check while the rest of the gang
scattered themselves through the train and
collected the money and valuables of the
passengers. AS there were only few of
the latter on board no attempt at resistance
was made, and the robbers didn't get much
booty.
After they had secured about everything
of value on the train the fellows, who We're
more or less drunk, proceeded to drive the
engineer and fireman from the engine, and
for two hours drunken ruffian kept control
of the throttle, running it up and down the
road, most of the time at a frightful rate of
speed.
There are no houses or signs of life for
several miles along the road, and the en-
gineer and fireman, who ran away as soon
as they had been driven from their posts,
were unable to give an alarm in time to APP
prehend the lawless band. The frightened
passengers meanwhile sat helpless in the
cars, in continuous fear of their lives. At
one time the drunken engineer ran the train
close to the little town of Mutual. A child
that was playing along the track was struck
by the cowcatcher and hurled a distance of
twenty feet, but, fortunately, only had
its arm broken. When a few min
utes later a mule that was placidly
feeding on the weeds that luxuriate
between the ties of the rickety old road-bed
was struck and instantly killed the whole
crowd of drunken darkies set up yell of
delight and the engine was almost derailed.
1t was nearly 10 O'clock when the negroes
got tired of the; drunken sport and aban-
doned the train. They left it about half way
up the branch, at deserted spot, and the
passengers had to get off and walk to the
nearest station and recite their unpleasant,
if exciting, experience, which had lasted
several hours. Officers are securing the
region in search of the audacious band.